Equalizing-wheel for chain or rope drives.



H. S. PIERCE.

EQUALIZING WHEEL FOR CHAIN 0R ROPE DRIVES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18,1913.

1 1 Q8, 1 90. Patented 27, 1915.

4 S SHEET I.

coLununA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. 11.;

H. S. PIERCE.

EQUALIZING WHEEL FOR CHAIN 0R ROPE DRIVES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. m3.

1,148,190, Patented July 27,1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

H. S. PIERCE.

EQUALIZING WHEEL FOR CHAIN 0R ROPE DRIVES.

APPLICATION FILED mu. 1a. 1913.

1,1 48,1 90. Patented July 27, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- H. S. PIERCE.

EQUALIZING WHEEL FOR CHAIN 0R ROPE DRIVES.

APPLICATION'FILED JAN. 18. I913.

Patented July 27, 1915.

megs;

53 7113 vqrwr m with snares rarnn'r orrion.

HAROLD S. PIERCE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LINK- BELTCOMPANY, .OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

EQUALIZING-WHEEL FOR CHAIN OR ROPE DRIVES. 7

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that I, HAROLD S. PIERCE, acitizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,have invented certain Improvements in Equalizing-Wheels for Chain orRope Drives, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an equalizing gear which willequalize the strain upon the independent chains of a chain drive,yetwill not interfere with the proper transmission of power and whichwill be contained within the sheaves or wheels around which the chainspass. This object I attain in the following manner, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional viewthrough one half of a wheel of a chain drive, illustrating my invention;Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line aa, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sideview of one of the sheave elements; Fig. 4: is a side view of one of thehub elements; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view illustrating amodification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectionalview illustrating a modi fication in which a series of links aresubstituted for the chain illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 7 is asectional plan view on the line 5-6, Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a sectional viewillustrating another modification in which gears are substituted for thechains illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 9 is a view showing aportion of the gearfring and pinion.

Referring to Figs. 1 to l inclusive, 1 is a shaft on which are securedthe hub elements 2. The hubs of these elements, in the present instance,are extended'so as to abut one another and mounted on the hubs 3 of theelements are the sheave elements 4, having the extended rims 5 withflanges at each edge, as illustrated in Fig. 1. These rims arepreferably of such a width that they will be close together when theparts are assembled on the shaft 1. These rims, in the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Application filed. January 18, 1913. Serial No. 742,836.

possible to commercially make a drive chain of a number of links so thatone chain .will be of the same length as another. consequently, when aseries of these chains are placed side by side for the purpose of transmltting power from one shaft to another, some suitable equalizing gearis necessary to compensate for the difference in length of the severalchains and when achain isrepaired the new. section will not be of thesame length as the old portion so that'a compensating gear should beused to equalize the strains. I

The main object of this invention is to provide an equalizing gear whichwill be substantial and effective and which is located wholly within oneof the wheels around which the chains pass.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4: inclusive, on each hub element is a bearing 8and on each sheave element aretwo bearings9 and 10 spaced a givendistance apart, as illustrated in Fig. 2. 7 is an endless chain, in thepresent instance, which passes in front of the several bearings 8 on thehub element 2 and back of each hearing 9 on the sheave element Thereturn run of the chain passes back of all of the bearings 8 and betweenthe all of the independent drive chains will be equal. If the directionof movement of the drive is reversed, then the bearingslO act to take upthe slack in the endless equalizing chain, while the bearings 9 aremoved out of operative position. The bearings 9, in some instances,maybe in the form of roll ers and, in fact, the bearings 8 may be roundand in the formof rollers instead of oblong, but I prefer theconstruction illustrated in the drawings. 7

I The chain shown in the drawings has'rollers 23 at the pivots 24 andthe links are of greater width than the rollers. Each of the wheels 14:and 15. carried, in the present instance by shoulders bearings 8, 9 and10 is grooved to receive the links and this allows the rollers to restupon the broad surface between the grooves, as shown in Fig. 1, thechain being retained in position.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated the simplest form of my improvement,namely, a series of bearings 8 on the hub elements alternating with aseries of bearings 9 on the sheave elements, with a chain 7 threadedaround the two series of bearings; the ends of the chain being secured,in the present instance, to arms 21 on the shaft, but the ends of thechain may be secured to the sheave elements,

gaining the same result.

While I have described the equalizing device as a chain, it will beunderstood that a rope or other flexible means may be used instead ofthe chain.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have illustrated a modification of my invention inwhich a series of levers and links are substituted for the chain. Inthis construction, the hub elements 2 are secured to the shaft andmounted in hearings in these elements are swivels 11 and extendingthrough openings in the swivels 11 are bars 17 which form levers.

. The rim elements P are mounted on the hub ,shown, so that any movementof one of the sheave elements 46 will be transmitted to the other sheaveelements and the strain equalized. The end levers 18 are attached toelements 19 fixed on theshaft in the construction shown.

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have illustrated a modification in which gearing isused as the equalizing mechanism in place of the chains illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2.

In hearings in each of the hub elements 2 are mounted a series of bevelgears 1a, which are free to rotate and on the sheave elements 4P are aseries of bevel gears 15, which are also free to rotate in the saidelements and mounted between the several bevel gears are rings 16 havingbeveled teeth forming annular racks with which mesh the These annularracks are formed on the elements 2 and 4P so that {165 will always meshwith the gear wheels. The end racks 20 are fixed to the shaft 1.

Thus any movement imparted to any one of ing above described.

My invention can be used when two chains are placed side by side, but itis particularly adapted for drives in which more than two chains areplaced side by side and the num ber of chains may be increased ordecreased by merely adding extra elements and lengthening thecompensating chain or increasing the number of levers and links or viceversa.

I claim:

- 1. The combination in an equalizing gear, of a shaft; a series of hubelements secured to the shaft; a series of sheave elements alternatingwith the hub elements and loosein respect to the shaft; and meansconnecting the hub elements and the sheave elements so that, when anyone of the sheave elements is subjected to an uneven strain, the strainwill be distributed throughout the series and the power will betransmitted through the several hub elements'from or to the shaft.

2. The combination of a shaft; a series of hub sections thereon; aseries of sheave sections alternating with the hub sections; bear ingson the hub sections; and bearings on the sheave sections; with acompensating chain threaded around the said elements.

3. The combination of a shaft;'a series of hub elements secured to theshaft; a series of sheave elements mounted between the hub elements andadapted to have a movement independent of the hub elements; each of saidhub elements having a bearing and each of the sheave elements having abearing; and an endless chain extending around the several bearings andacting as a compensating connection between the several elements.

4:. The combination of a shaft; hub elements mounted loosely on theshaft; sheave elements alternating with the hub elements; a singlebearing on each hub element and two bearings on each sheave element; anendless chain passing between the two bearings on the sheave element andon each side of the hearings on the hub element so that when the shaftis turned in one direction, one set of hearings on the sheave elementwill rest against the chain and when the shaft is rotating in thereverse direction, the other bearing of the sheave element will restagainst the chain.

5. The combination of a shaft; a series of hub sections thereon; aseries of sheave sections alternating with the hub sections; groovedhearings on the hub sections; grooved hearings on the sheave sections;with a compensating chain threaded between the said bearings; said chainbeing made of links connected by pivot pins; and rollers on the pivotpins less in diameter than the width of the links, the links of thechain resting in the grooves of the bearings, thus holdingv the chain inposition.

6. The combination of a shaft; a series of hub elements thereon; aseries of three or In testimony whereof, I have signed my more loosesheave elements placed side by name to this specification, in thepresence of side and overlapping the hub elements; and two subscribingWitnesses.

a single means connecting the said elements HAROLD S. PIERCE. so thatthe movement of one of the sheave Witnesses:

elements will affect the position of the other WM. E. SHUPE,

sheave elements of the series. 7 WM; A. BARR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents, each," byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

